Bottle-capping and wire-removing machine



May 29, E923. 'l

\ R. .1.. CANTON BOTTLE GAPPING AND WIRE REMOVING MACHINE May 29,. 19%.

' 1,456,611? R. J. CANTON. BOTTLECA'PPING AND WI RE REMOVING MACHINE Filed sem. 15. 1921'v 4 sheets-sheet May 29, 1923.

1,456,617 R. J. CANTON BOTTLE CAPPING AND-WIRE REMOVING MACHINE l I i Filed sept. 15, 1921 4 sheeslsheet o.

Patented May 29, 1.923.

' ir a "r fr s man ,15; 'ein ROLLAND J. CANTON,v 0F LYNN, ivrassaciinsnr'rs.

BOTTLE-CAPPING AND WIR-REIMOVING Application iiledSeptember 15, 1921. Serial No. 500,745.

c parts.

wire ring be removed My present invention relates. to bottle capping` machines, and more particularly to a combined bottle capping and wireremoving machine adapted for use on milk bottles and the like. My present invention is an improvement on the machine described and claimed vin myv Patent No. 1,381,278 of .lune 14, 1921.

In bottling high grade milk at the present day, it is customary t'o'not only cap the bottle with the' usual wax paper cap or disk, but also to further protect` the contents 'of the bottle by placing a paper cup over the top of the bottle and hold such cup. in

place by a crimped metal ring.

With ynew bottles, the above method of procedure lis comparatively simple and easily carried in carrying out the method on bottles that have been previously cupped and which therefore, Aafter washing, must be refilledr 'with milk and then recapped Aand recupped. VVhenthe milk is to be used, the outer cup and inner cap are removed, the crimped wire however, being letton the neck or the bott-le. It is, of course,l necessary that this before the bottle can be recupped, and heretofore this has been done'by an operator both hands and snapping' the wire ring apart over a hook fastened to a lbench or other convenient support. This operation isexpensive as'it not only occupies the time of a'man, v age, the breakagev averaging about twenty per cent. Also, this operation is dangerous, asv due tothe large breakage, the operator Vis frequently injured by `fragments 4of glass. Inl my patent, above referred to, I have obviated the defects of prior apparatus'by devising automatic wire removing means =thatoperates-in conjunction with a bottle capping, such for example, as the capping machine known as the Milwaukee Cappel?,

out.v The main diiiculty isgrasping a bottle in Y kbut results in considerable break-k and described and claimed in Patent No. 1,040,453 and dated October 8, 1912.

The mechanism described and claimed in my patent, while efficient and capable oi. performing the functions for which it was designed, is apt, `in unskilled' o r careless hands, to slight derangements of adjustment that necessitate frequent readjustment, due primarily to the pivotal mounting of the wire cutting mechanism. In my present invention which, as stated, is designed to be an improvement over that'shownand described in my Patent 1,381,278, I have obviated the lobjectionable features of. the

structure shown in said patent, and also the objectionable featuresof all,` ,prior appa i'atus of this character.l In overcoming the vobjections above noted, I have mounted the cutters on a cross 4vheadmovalole in syn-vr chronism with the cap-ping head, thus eliminating the necessity of pivotally mounting such cutters. My -inventio-n is capable of being used asa separate machine, in which event the removal of the wirey from the necks of the bottles is a separate operation, or it may be used in combination with the cappingmachine, as -above described, and as this use speeds up the work of preparing the filled bottles :for shipment and isA more economical, lI prefer to `use it in this manner. I Y

-The principalA object of my invention therefore, is an improved device for remov'- fing wirerings from milk bottles and the like.

Another object is the provision of an im; proved combined bottle capping and wire removing machine,

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation, showing a bottle in position to be operated von;

2 is a sectional side' elevation showing the bottle after the capping voperation and with the wire ring removed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly insection;

Fig. 4' is a section `onthe line '4.-'-4 of Fig.y 2;.

Fig.v 5 is a front elevation showing the cutter cross head in position;

` Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of Fig. 5, and

Fig.\7 is a section on the line '7-7 of 5.

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate supporting posts, extending upwardly from a suitableplatforn'i (not shown) and. adjustablymountodon said jposts 10 and 11 is a bracket 12,-elanping screws-13, fat-either side thereof. providing means for clamping. sueh bracket in adjusted position.

Slidably mounted ina* vertie'alff tietrally .located bearing` 14.. in.: the bracket. 12 is a shaft 15, which extends upwardly from the bracket 12 a suitabledi-stanee, and down*- wardly to an operating treadle (not shown). Eastenedf t the topof' they shaft 15- by a Spin 16 is a'holdinglbraeket 17, an additionallilastellin-g.V l:areane;18Iengaging i'n'Ua transverse slotinthe shaftandheldfin position by b olt'19--and sere/w 20.' yLa'terally extending arms-.w21 on the ibraeket 17 carry; depending ro ds 23v sli-dahle. therein and prevented f from falling. out l ofA said. vautres I21 lby collars 24 pinned tojthe rods. Intermediate the. ends o.f..eaeh rod-23fis abraeletff25 withl-aterally extendingfarms26, :these bracket-s being pinned v'tof-'the y rods-23, l as shownlin Figs.` 1 and. 2.v @nleaehfrod-QB; between' .the y upper faee I-of `the *bracket 425 jandi-the* 'lower'. vface ofi` the' bra.cket.-;2 1-is a r coiled spring. 27, 1 the purposeof which willI be herein-after. deser-ihed., "Slidablyimonnted A'on 'ea'chf-of the rodsv 23r Y is a. frame w28 ,provided at. its lower end with af eircular cham-ber 29,.'a-1 napping head 3Q,-attaeheclyto the lower end ofthe roc-l..;23by-serew lyfittinfg. loosely in. said :cham/ber, and Afpredeh.arm-ining Athe lower limit I-of l'movementof -tlieframe ,'28 ony such rod. Att-one side of the vframe28i or tothe 35 right-.as viewed` in Figs. a'1.-'andf2, fis-a cap i each side of` the frame 28 are guides v36vk which'engage inrguideways 37 in: the'ad- ,.justable bracket v K' zMounted .for sliding movement'` longitudif .nallypflthe 'cap supporting. platformff34 are crosslheadsBSprovided with ,top .plates 39 of. dimensions."thatpermit them .tol move 'between ythe upperface; 'of'y the member .Icom- 'prising the vrecess 33 and the cap supporting platform and the'loWeIf-faee of the frame 28, thev end oi Snehfplatej 39. being-.rounded gasshown; at `-40,. to,more readily engage;` with andrfeed a cap. 53 from thexcap recept-aele `321to the. chamber'l 29.. Links 41 are' pivotally mounted at. one .enden Veach-side. ofthe crossoff iframeA f heads 38, the other end of said links being pivotally attaelfiedv to onejendofenefpf the arms lofith'e bell crank` levers 42;'Ewliiehi levers arepivotally mounted on opposite sides of A.the capA receptacles,32.5l The other arm of Veach'ofl the hell erankl'evers 42 is provided v'with anelongatedv s101143 in which wor-ks a stud'44 von one end k'of'liii'ks 45, the other ends of. which arepivotally mounted on theeX- tremities'of the laterally extending arms 26 of the. bracket 25.y L I y -Sl'd-ablyl mountedon'theiposts 10 andfll,

and Onthe shaft 15y bene-ath k,the bearing-14,

is' af cutter holdii'iggy @ross-head l.46, thefpo-rtion 47; surrounding the shaft lvbeingelonfgated and slotted at 48 gto" engage with aserew 49. attached; to the'v shaft 15, as' lele-arly, shown t-h'ef lower end o f.- the portion-47 cifthe cross.- hearl 46:- and. the.v topq-of he platform4f (not shown) is a coil spring 50, which tendsto inop'erative,V position, which. is the position shown 1n'F1g.1. nthe erossdi'eadeig v'on eitherl side vof the shaft. .15, and in 'alignment' with eaeh 'of the. rods"y or .piangere viewed in is a. counterlvioredhole 51 in which 4i'sslidably-n'iounted a' wire eutter' or knife 02, a shank 53 on the rear end --theref-Kr of extending thro-ugh the: holeflvan-:l -provided on lits outer ends ,witlil threads.. 544to receive nuts 5,5, thresenu-ts limitingthefouteward movement of the'eutters Ih.tlie cou-nterbored hole.. 51. andLattlierear offtlie cutter' 5.2, `is ar spring. 'that tends to yforce thecutter 52 outwardly. fCnefside ofthe lcutters .S2-is, flattened. `thro-ugliout theign'ajor'.

portionof. its length; asshowninfl? and a; headless-screw 5 7, in"v thefcrossfhead 46.4 engvent. rotation. off the cutter :while 'l yet" permit; tinge.sliding` movement. thereof into aindfout the fcounterbored. hole,-

The. normal i posivtionof the eutter. '5Q2isfsliowniindl- C,.."1,witl'1 the point. thereof. iny engagement! withf'the .gages with such. flattened."portionftopre-T up'p'er `rim of'l a. ymilk bottleV andl lwith. the' spr-ingv slightlycompressed, so that7 .aisfthe erossdi'ead vmoves-"-downward,Jthe euttefrf '52 will followythe .contour ofthey bottle and pjositivelyengage with thewire. cutgtheffsame,"asshownfin Fig. 2f. Theoperationsofgmy inventionfrisfais ollowsJ-assuming that.theimeehanismds i the Alll 5 .j-ustbeen eappedpand the.l wire ring. f

moved. The .treadle not-.h-shbwn) fils; o en atedto`move.theholdirg -liracket L7l 'ip'- wardl/y. earryinggthejframe 28.1and lasso ated p`arts, inelud-ingf the@ erosshead d `cutters 152, therewith, untilfthepartsgassme this period. the erosshead 38; ftliroughithe linkage 42, 43, 45, moves the plate 39 longitudinally of the cap supporting platform 34, forcing the lower cap of the pile o-f caps in the receptacle or magazine 32 into the chamber 29, the spring 27 being compressed during this operation. Continued upward movement of the o-perating post 15 moves the conical recess 33 upward a sufficient distance to allow the capped bottle to be removed.

Ordinarily in practice, the bottles are supported on a rotatable tab-le, and are supplied to the machine in pairs, but as this feature ofthe machine does not concern the present a invention, it has not been described or illustrated. It is sufficient for the present purpose to know that at this stage of the proceedings an additional bottle or bottles are supplied to the machine and occupy the position with respect thereto shown in Fig. 1.

The treadle (not shown) is now operated to I lower the holding bracket 17 and parts carried thereby, the cutter 52 engaging with the upper edge of the bottle, the pressure of the spring 56 maintaining the cutter in engagement with the bottle, as above described. As the frame 28 is lowered simultaneously with the cutter 52, the lconical recess 33 engages with and holds the bottle in position, and further downward movement of the shaft 15 brings the screw 49 into engagement with the lower endof the slot 48,

thus causing a downward movement of the cross-head 46 and cutters 52, which cutters, following the contour of the bottles, as above described, engage with the ring 55, cutting and breaking said ring and throwing it off the bottle. Simultaneously the rod 23 forces the capping head 30 against the cap 53 in the chamber 29 and into the top of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 2. During the first part of the downward movement of the bracket 17, the spring 27 operates to return the cross-head 38 and plate 39 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention for forcing said. cutter outwardly with respect to said recess to maintain said cutter n in engagement with the bottle during its movement to cut and remove used cup holding rings from the neck of the bottle.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of bottle holding means, a cross-head movable toward and from said bottle and provided with a recess, a cutter slidably mounted in said recess, a spring in said recess for forcing said cutter outwardly with respect to said recess to maintain said cutter in engagement with the bottle during its movement to' cut and remove used cup holding rings from the neck of the bottle, and means for limiting the outward movement of the cutter.

3. In a machine of the class described, the lcombinatio-n of a bottle holding means, a crosshead movable toward and from said bottle on a line parallel to the axis thereof, a cutter slidably mounted in said crosshead in a. direction transverse to the line of movement of the crosshead, and means for forcing said cutter outwardly with respect to said crosshead to maintain said cutter in engagement with the bottle to cut and remove used cap holding rings from the neck of the bott-le.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROLLAND J. CANTON. 

